The second component in the project schedules is the elapsed time for the project. Let’s say your project time estimate is 30 hours. Does that mean you can do the project in less than a week? In most cases, the elapsed time for a project can extend much longer than the time required would indicate.

Listed below are some common factors you need to consider in looking at the elapsed time.

• Time it takes to meet with people – You may not be able to meet with key people when you want.
• Availability of operations – You may not be able to observe the system in operation when you want.
• Identification of vendor options – You may not be able to talk with vendor representatives when you want.
• Other assignments – You may have other assignments that delay you working on the project.

These are examples of delays you may encounter in getting a project done. In general, any task that depends on other people or in getting specific information will probably take longer to do in elapsed time than you think.

The project schedule is generally presented in a Gantt chart type of format as shown below. The example is the City of Morgantown user fee illustration.